Nausea, Vomiting, and Antiemetics

Medical Author: John P. Cunha, DO
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• What can cause nausea and vomiting?
• What types of medications are available to treat nausea and vomiting?

What can cause nausea and vomiting?

Nausea and vomiting occur for many reasons. Common causes include motion sickness, self-limited illnesses (viruses or food poisoning) that last a few hours to a few days, and toxins (such as certain medications).

People should consult a doctor if nausea and/or vomiting are persistent or are accompanied by other severe symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever, yellow discoloration of the skin (jaundice), or bleeding. Individuals with severe or ongoing vomiting who have other serious medical problems, are elderly, are very young, or are pregnant or nursing infants should also seek medical attention.

Motion sickness may occur in many settings including travel by car, air, or boat. This may be the best setting for the use of over-the-counter medications for nausea and vomiting. Other inner-ear problems that are related to motion sickness can create a feeling of nausea as well.

Viral infections can cause nausea and vomiting, which is sometimes associated with diarrhea. Often, an "outbreak" can be identified with several cases occurring in the same household. Food poisoning from either bacteria or viruses can cause similar symptoms. In both situations, the illnesses generally run their course over a period of several days and resolve without treatment.

Medications can cause nausea or vomiting and should be suspected when the symptoms appear within a short time after starting a new medication. Notify your prescribing physician if this happens.

Nausea and vomiting are not diseases but symptoms that can be caused by many conditions. Several other less common reasons for nausea and vomiting are

• early stages of pregnancy (nausea occurs in approximately 50%-90% of all pregnancies, vomiting in 25%-55%),
• painful injury,
• postoperative (the period following surgery),
• an emotional or fearful situation,
• gallbladder disease, gallstones or infection (cholecystitis),
• overeating (especially after gastric bypass surgery),
• a reaction to certain smells or odors,
• heart attack (may be the only symptom in some people),
• concussion or head injury,
• brain tumor,
• ulcers or gastritis,
• bulimia or other psychological illnesses, and
• gastroparesis (slow stomach emptying often seen in people with diabetes).

From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com

Nausea and Vomiting - Nausea and vomiting symptoms of many conditions including motion sickness, pregnancy, emotional stress, gallbladder disease, and more. Learn how to recognize the warning signs of nausea and vomiting on MedicineNet.com Source:MedicineNet Food Poisoning - Read about the types of food poisoning from bacterium infection from Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria, and botulism. Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention information is included in the information. Source:WebMD Medical Reference from The Cleveland Clinic Motion Sickness - Read about motion sickness (car sickness, sea sickness, air sickness) symptoms like nausea, vomiting, dizziness, vertigo, and malaise, and now to prevent and treat the condition. Source:MedicineNet Read 28 more Antiemetics related articles ... Health Tip: Treating an Ulcer Health Tip: Discussing Death With Children Breast Cancer Tends to Grow Faster in Younger Women Mental Illness Costs U.S. Billions in Lost Earnings Health Highlights: May 8, 2008 Computer Program Helps Drug Abusers Stay Clean TV Coverage of Tragedies Often Lacks Prevention Messages Secret to Treating Tinnitus in Vets May Be Unlocked in Zebrafish Gene Variant Boosts Risk of Severe Diabetic Eye, Kidney Diseases Outside Workers Least Likely to Get Skin Exams